By examining the speech patterns and body language in Pereira Declares, we can better understand Pereira's true internalized feelings and political views. This is important because he often speaks out of anxiety or compulsion, but on occasion he expresses happier thoughts. Equally important, the way his body reacts to certain situations provides another clue to precisely those feelings he will not declare. Pereira is a man who is often nervous or shy, but at times has spurts of confidence which can be expressed both internally and externally. Internally you can read him through his internal monologue, but externally you can look for visual ques such as if he is sweating or feeling cool. He also is very declarative of his emotions and is usually very confident when he states things. 

Often times we will see the way Pereira declares he felt different from what he is actually saying or doing. Pereira’s internalized thoughts being are usually a façade, this is evident when he is speaking to Monteiro Rossi from the heart rather than from compulsive anxiety. While Rossi was speaking Pereira wanted to tell him to be factual and he wanted to respond through anxiety but still he had told Rossi that “we must always follow the reasons of the heart” (27). Shortly after telling Rossi that, despite his internalized anxiety, he left us with the question “Why had he said all that when he wanted to say quite the opposite?”(28). He had said the opposite of what he wanted because he spoke from the heart, for despite Pereira’s depression he actually wanted to speak from the heart and so he did so through the confidence Rossi granted him. On the inside Pereira faces anxiety which tells him to speak from fear for he had been living in this emotionless state for a long time. Despite the state of depression he usually lives in this is a prime example of when he speaks from a happy emotion, from “reasons the heart”, rather than from his usual anxious depressed state.

A prime example of Pereira’s actions and emotions not always having a direct correlation is when he was first meeting Monteiro at the salazarist festival. His actions display his true emotions rather than his stated words. Sometimes he strays from his internalized debased state for example when “he danced that waltz almost in rapture” (16). This level of comfort and confidence is very out of character for Pereira because he was already very uneasy to be there but the music and dancing with Marta caused his mind to stray from fear. When Pereira was invited to dance his response was reminiscent of his youth as he displayed a priorly unseen confidence and poise. In the presence of Rossi he will display feelings of pride like when he “decided to adopt a haughty tone” (18) while speaking of his work. One can only shows he adopted this pride in the presence of Rossi in the same way a father may display pride when questioned by his son. Moreover, when he is in a happier state of mind he is not as actively hungry like when he was dining with Rossi he states “just now I need an aperitif” (26). An aperitif is an alcoholic beverage intended to induce hunger, but this would leave us wondering why a man who always eats and doesn’t drink would want such a thing. I can only assume it is because when he is at ease he no longer fears enjoying himself through an action such as drinking just as he no longer finds as much satisfaction in an action such as eating. 

Pereira’s political views can be inferred through his reactions both internally and externally. At the festival he was fearful for the evident fact that he had a differing political view, but in the time and place he lived the only thing he could do was live with it and move on. When he was first approaching the festival it was stated after he noticed the people in green shirts and scarves “He hung back in terror, and several different things flashed into his mind at once” (10). This showed that not only was he not a salazarist, but Pereira especially feared them with the recent murder of the “Alentejan carter.” Pereira, while first meeting Marta, initially confirmed she was not a salazarist youth then proceeded to tell her that he did not care much for politics. Despite that she proceeded to elaborate on the difference between fanaticism and faith by sharing her political agreement with the French revolution and asked Pereira’s stance. “Theoretically yes, answered Pereira, but then regretted having said theoretically, because what he had wanted to say was: Substantially yes.”(16) Despite the prior statement that he was not a fan of politics or fanatics it appeared his political viewpoint was close to that of Marta’s even though Marta seemed like a bit of a fanatic when it came to the freedom and equality of men. Later you see Pereira tell his wife “she’s just a bit too cocksure and talks politics” (20) but I honestly believe what he perceived as arrogant confidence in her political views may have resembled his wife’s prior beliefs. Pereira does not always say what he really means but instead says what his emotions dictate at the time being whereas in the moment his political beliefs were in sync with hers. 

In conclusion Pereira’s speech patterns and body language usually display his true feelings, he also often speaks out of anxiety and compulsion, but the way his mind responds to certain situations usually is consistent with how he really feels. He will often say things that differ from how he actually feels due to his deeply ingrained anxiety. This can be seen by watching the way he acts whether it be his spurts of emotions considered uncommon for him or physical actions and reactions that do not fit his initial character traits. His political views are also more easily determined when you see through what he says and examine how he reacts. Pereira’s true feelings are determined through a combination of action, reaction, and internal responses. 
